20 revealing minutes with Harry

HONG KONG — Harry Connick Jr. is currently on tour for his latest album Your Songs under Sony Music Entertainment. The album of beautiful classics has succeeded in making Harry’s voice the focal point of the entire recording and it’s doing wonders at the record bars worldwide.

The album’s tracklisting is such that it will no doubt pull those romantic strings in your hearts, the same way Harry Connick Jr., the actor, is able to do in his romantic flicks. The album’s repertoire is consisted of the following: All The Way, Just The Way You Are, Can’t Help Falling in Love With You, And I Love Her, Close To You, Besame Mucho, The Way You Look Tonight, First Time, Ever I Saw Your Face, Your Song, Some Enchanted Evening, And I Love You So, Who Can I Turn To, Smile and Monalisa.

Harry came to this city to meet with the regional press from Asia for this promo tour. The timing of the trip comes in the wake of the “blackface” controversy surrounding Harry’s negative reaction to a group of performers in Australia where he was one of the guest judges.

On his website, Harry explains himself:

“I have watched the media storm that has erupted over my reaction to the Hey Hey blackface skit. Where I come from, blackface is a very specific and very derogatory thing. Perhaps this is different in other parts of the world, but in the American culture, the blackface image is steeped in a negative history and considered offensive. I urge everyone in the media to take a look at the history of blackface to fully understand why it is considered offensive. I also urge you to review the Hey Hey tape and you will see that I did not ascribe any motives to anyone, nor did I call anyone a racist. The blackface skit was a surprise to me and I was simply shocked to see this on TV. I do not believe that the performers intended any harm.

I appreciate the folks who have written in support but please know that I allow everyone their own opinions and can only speak for myself.”

Following is our 20-minute interview with Harry that reveals his natural curiosity about people, his love for his family, his love for his music and his art.

This is your 24th album already but we see the same passion you give for your music. How do you keep at it?

I just love it. I feel like God put me on earth to make music. And I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. Plus I don’t know how to do anything else. (laughs) You know what I mean? I got to stick to what I know. Everything is fresh and exciting. I don’t really know why. Things are very exciting for me. There’s never a day that I feel like I don’t want to play music. Like last night okay, I felt very sick, like I had a fever and the flu. But when I got on stage, it disappeared. I still didn’t feel good, but I love playing. I never get tired of that.

You were sick? Nobody suspected anything because you pulled off a really great show last night.

Thank you. But you can’t let people know. It will be distracting for them. After, it’s okay I think but before, it will be hard for them to concentrate on the show when they are wondering how you’re gonna do.

I don’t know if this is a fair question, but if I ask you to pick five songs in this album that you really like, what will those be and why?

Sure. The Way You Look Tonight is one of my favorites because of its beautiful melody. Anyone can sing that song. I love Monalisa because it was sung by Nat King Cole and there’s just that history behind that song that is quite formidable. I love Who Can I Turn To, I love All the Way, and I love Smile. There.

What’s the greatest thing about putting this album together?

This album is very different and so it’s very exiting for me. I have sung classic songs in the past but I’ve never made my voice the focus of the CD. It has always been a part of it but it’s never been the single focus of the album. I’ve always spent a lot of time making the arrangements as interesting as the vocals. But this one I’ve made an effort to have the arrangement sort of be in the background and just support my voice. That’s why anybody can put on this album and everybody can sing along to it. Never really done that before so that was really exciting to try.

How involved are you in this first-time collaboration with Clive Davis?

He picked some songs and I picked some and we didn’t always agree so we had to get to the point where we had a list of songs that we both really, really liked and we narrowed it down.

Will there be a second volume of this album then?

You know what? I don’t know. I had a really great time doing this one and this one’s really done for the audience so if they really sort of express interest in another one, I’d love to do another one.

Do classical songs have a special appeal for you, which could probably the inspiration why this album was put together?

I know ‘em all. I love all the songs but thinking about it, there’s really no specific reason why they were chosen. Like, I love The Way You Look Tonight. I love this song and I just know that it is beautiful but I really don’t have any special reason behind it. It doesn’t remind me of anything personal, not that sort of thing.

How often do you write songs?

I don’t sit around writing songs every day, if that’s what you’re asking. I usually wait until it’s that time of the year to make music. I usually wait until my manager of 23 years, Ann Marie Wilkins, tells me it is so. If there’s an album or a project coming up then I sort of turn that part of my brain on and focus on writing songs. Otherwise I don’t think I will be able to have any social life. I don’t think I will be a good dad or a good husband, or a good friend because all I would do is think about that and that will be very distracting. So I have developed a way to sort of shut that part of my brain when I’m doing something else.

Compartmentalize things?

Compartmentalize, yes that’s what I mean. And that works very well for me.

We know you as a singer, a musician. But if you sum up who you are in one word…

I’d say an entertainer. That pretty sums up everything I do. It covers the things that people notice like the singing and acting, but it also covers the behind the scenes stuff, the arranging and the producing and all that.

Which is more exciting work for you? The performing part or the behind-the-scene work?

Behind the scene is very exciting and takes up a lot of time and it’s very intense. When you’re working with musicians in a studio or you’re writing. It’s very intense when you’re focused very directly on what you’re doing. But when I go on stage and you’ve done that work. You’ll be the entertainer on stage to sing and perform, these things that people see, I live for that, I love it. I feel like I have earned it. I’ve worked so hard so when I get out there to sing, that’s my reward.

That’s really great, to feel that going out there to share your songs to your audience is your reward.

Yeah, I just have a great time out there and somehow the people see and feel that. And I like that sort of interaction. I’ve never really gone out on stage and not feel great doing my thing. This is not like some act. Somehow the audience knows how much fun you’re having and they, in turn, have fun with you. To me that is the greatest part. There’s that level of honesty that we both feel.

You are an artist. Most have quirks, artistic requirements that they need to meet or satisfy before a show or something. Do you have those, too?

No and I’ll tell you why. I remember a long time ago, I used to feel I had to take a nap before my show. Well, there was one time that I couldn’t do that because I had an interview or something before the performance. And it was alarming, I knew it was gonna disrupt my routine. And ever since then, I don’t have any requirements. Anything goes. You know, whether I have a nap, or whether I eat before my show or after my show. Whether I write a song on an airplane or at my house. Whatever the situation is, it’s the right situation. And that allows me to be completely free. Even if I’m sick, like last night. That show is what it’s gonna be. It maybe a little mellow and not a powerful show but it’s gonna have something else going on. But absolutely going to be my best still under the circumstances.

You are an excellent musician and not a few know that you are a very devoted family man. Not very many celebrities are able to make both careers work successfully. Is there a secret there somewhere?

I don’t know if there is a secret, you know. I love music. I love my family. There is a way to make it work. And everybody’s different, everybody has a different situation. Everybody has a way of doing things in different situations. But for me, my family comes first, but they understand that I have to make time for my career, for my art. They’re very understanding. I don’t know if this is a secret. We talk a lot. We communicate a lot. I think that is really important. There are a lot of people who are able to maintain a successful career and family life.

How would you describe yourself as a husband?

Well, I think I’m a good husband. I think I am a romantic husband. My wife will be the judge of that but I love to make her laugh. I love to surprise her, to talk to her. She’s my best friend and I love to be around her. When I see her, I’m happy.

What kind of surprises do you normally pull for her?

Like we have three kids now, when I am home and I tell them, dress up we’re going out for dinner. With the schedule now, that’s a big deal, to go out for dinner. It wasn’t before, we’d do it every night but now it’s a big deal. We go out alone and sometimes with the kids.

How different are the two of you?

I’m a spontaneous person and she is a little bit more structured than I am and I think we make a great team that way. And I like to do things that surprise her…

How are you as a father?

I have three girls. First of all I just feel so lucky to have three healthy daughters. I mean that’s a big, big deal. I thank God and I really try to be a good, good dad. We have rules. I think I am strict in certain ways and other ways I am very understanding. I listen to their side of the story. I think it’s very important because sometimes things are just the way they are and it maybe painful to say no without an explanation sometimes but I’m one to really talk things through with them.

Who is the disciplinarian in the family?

I think it’s a combination. But I think it’s my wife mostly but there are times when I am too. Because of the schedule that we have, she has to maintain very strict order and sometimes that seems very unfair to her. That’s why even when I travel, we make it a point that if there are issues with my kids, they hear from me so they can have fun with their mom.

Who do they go to when they’re in trouble?

I’d say they go to me. And when I am in trouble, I go to my kids. I don’t go to my wife. I’m scared of her, too! (laughs)

How much time do you spend traveling?

It depends on the year. Like last year, I didn’t do much travel. I had a lot of time off. And for this year, starting on the first quarter of last month, I’ve been traveling a lot so this is going to be a busy year. But my family understands. And I don’t usually go out for more than two to three weeks at a time. That’s not too bad.

You went to Manila, you ate our delicacy balot. Here in Hong Kong, you went to Stanley Market to buy presents for your kids. Is that something that you do a lot when you travel? Try to experience the local color or something?

I love immersing myself in the culture of the country I visit. I didn’t get a college education, you know? I don’t know a lot about the world and the best way to know more is to do that. Like in Manila, I wanna meet the people in Manila. I wanna walk the streets and experience life there. I’d like to go back there sometime.

Any memorable experiences in Manila?

I guess when I ate balot, that pretty much beats the rest. And for you too since the juice from the egg that I threw during the show hit you. You probably threw away the clothes you were wearing that night. But seriously, I remember going around Manila and driving around with the traffic and the heat. There’s a feel there, it’s like in the air and I like that. I come from that in New Orleans. I don’t want this to sound weird but when I meet people, I wonder where they live. Like I wonder when you leave what your day is gonna be like? Are you going back to Manila right away, going to airport or where do you go. Like what’s in your house? Do you have a big record collection or are you into art or do you like to cook? I think of that kind of stuff, you know? So when I meet people, I get a little glimpse of that and I like that. I like getting to know people.

Really? Anyway, thanks very much for the time.

Thank you very much, too. Don’t worry I won’t show up at your house.